From this point on, be warned that this post may contain images that are graphic in nature and could be disturbing to some viewers. Ruby’s views do not necessarily reflect the position or values of this blog. In no way does Motherhood and Muffin Tops condone the inhumane treatment of animals. Viewer discretion is strongly advised. 

Before Carson left, it was becoming quite the common occurrence for him to text me pictures like these.

 

                             

                                   

It was hard to ignore the fact that Ruby had become quite the high-yield squirrel killer during the pandemic. While some of us used the extra time to brush up on an old hobby, get ourselves organized, or accomplish some dreaded task, Ruby invested hers in the decimation of the central Mississippi squirrel population. We still can't figure out how a dog -who is all feet and hits her head trying to walk under tables that are shorter than her- manages to chase down one of God's most elusive creatures, but it had become clear that she was getting quite good at it. 

Back in the quarantine days, we were spending a lot of time outdoors. We witnessed one of her first conquests while enjoying an afternoon on the front porch. Up to that point, it was almost like a page from a southern novel as we all sat out there swaying in the swings and rockers to the joyous song of the birds who were welcoming spring with their happy notes. We slowly sipped on cold, sweet tea to soothe our sun-parched throats. There was no place to go and nowhere to be. Just us and the sound of the warm breeze blowing the new leaves of the awakened trees. There we sat- soaking in the peace and tranquility and watching all of nature stretching from its winter slumber- when suddenly, there was a ruckus coming from the trees at the edge of the yard. It was Ruby. Staggering out of the woods like a drunkard. This is the part where the southern novel turns into more of an episode of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. She stood there looking dazed as she clutched a dead, disemboweled squirrel in between her teeth with one of her eyes almost swollen shut. Whatever the poor bushy-tailed varmint had left in him before his untimely passing, he apparently gave it to Ruby right in the eye.

 

She didn't seem particularly interested in eating it. His innards were spilling out, but that must've happened in the struggle. She just wanted to carry him around the yard in her mouth like a trophy and avoided anyone who tried to get close to her lest we try to steal a bite. A couple of times, she dropped the corpse and start gnawing on its hind legs, but that proved unfulfilling. What may have been considered a tasty meal back in the days of living on the streets, now didn't seem as palatable after having savored the fine delicacies made available by the Purina company. Finally, she found a quiet spot on the lawn where the two of them could be alone. She placed the deceased squirrel in the soft grass and then she laid down and faced him.

 

After so much parading around and showboating, the flies had started to gather. Such a big victory for Ruby. She'd worked so long on honing her skills. Perfecting her timing and her speed. Lying in wait in bushes. She'd tried and failed so many times, but had finally gotten what she wanted. So much effort. So much time. So much reward. But, she seemed strangely dissatisfied. Just lying there with her head cradled in the grass looking somberly at the fly- infested kill. Almost like she enjoyed the thought of killing the squirrel more than the actual event. Maybe it was anticlimactic for her. She looked at him as if she thought he'd been more fun alive than he was dead. Perhaps she was recalling the good times they'd enjoyed frolicking in the woods. Running and playing hide and seek. (Cue the music- “We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.”) But, now he sat motionless. And she sat discontented. And those flies.

Like Ruby, we’re all in pursuit of something. But, after the chase, some of those things can leave us feeling unfulfilled even as they lay at our feet. The pandemic has given us more time to be alone and quiet to evaluate the lives we led before all of this started. We’ve had plenty of opportunity to think about a lot of stuff, you know. Like if we’ve been looking for those things that we all crave- hope, contentment, joy, security, acceptance, peace, fulfillment- in all the wrong places. Maybe the possibility that we were living rushed and harried lives in exchange for things that didn’t give us the happiness and contentment we’d imagined. And the flies. We didn’t anticipate those.

I don’t think I’ve ever spent as much time at home as I have in the last 5 months. I like to be on the go. Even now with things opening back up, my day to day activity isn’t what it normally is. It would be a shame to return to life just as it was before- not learning or growing from this time-out. What a unique opportunity we’ve had to step back from everything and think about what matters in life. And maybe what we’ve been giving up in exchange for some of our deluded pursuits. “Take delight in the Lord and he will give you your heart’s desires.” Desires like the hope, contentment, joy, security, acceptance, peace, and fulfillment that we want. They may not be in the places we’ve been looking, but it will require a hunt. “Seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29  Then, we can finally be content and fulfilled. “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” Psalm 107:9

Hope you have a great day!